JANET Jennings is a co-opted governor and vice-chair at Ullswater community college, Penrith, Cumbria, a comprehensive 11-18 school. She is 60 and has been a governor at the school for 10 years.
What made you want to be a governor?
Education is in my blood. My parents were both teachers and I had a career in teaching, so I felt I had something to offer. I wrote around with my curriculum vitae as soon as we moved to Cumbria.
Has the experience fulfilled your expectations?
I’ve been involved in governing for about 20 years so I think if it hadn’t done, I would have backed out by now! It has become harder, but on the other hand I started as a teacher representative and at that point I wasn’t allowed to speak unless someone had something to ask me.
What dodon’t you like?
I like the influence of different partners in education, and the opportunity of being involved in the school. I don’t like the culture of bidding for money, which takes valuable time from teachers, and where you are judged on the quality of the bid and not necessarily on what the school is doing.
Has the experience changed you?
Actually, it has changed my life drastically. I joined the National Association of Governors and Managers and worked on the executive, and I have developed a second career in governor training.
What is the biggest, best or worst change you’ve seen?
The biggest and best was certainly local management of schools - it was such a radical change and it made schools grow up and develop their own autonomy. The worst change is performance management. A good appraisal system is essential, but it is bound up with inadequate funding. Teachers can meet all their targets, but sometimes there is no money for them to move up the scale so there is a total lack of credibility.
What does your family think of your commitment?
My husband, who is also an education person, is incredibly supportive. I use him as a sounding board.
Where does governing fit into your life?
It’s very central to my life, especially with the training part of it. I eat and sleep governing sometimes. If you could wave a wand, what would you wish for the school?
To win our bid for specialist status, for business and enterprise. Everyone’s worked so hard on it and we have a lot of community support.
And who or what would you make disappear?
Secondary selection and selective grammar schools.
Who would be your ideal fantasy governor?
Joan Sallis. All that wisdom she’s got is wonderful. And she’d know exactly how to use it.
Janet Prescott
